Laravel Deployment Checklist

Going live with a Laravel app? Don't deploy from memory. Pick your project type and features, and get the exact production checklist — server, DB, cache, security, the works.

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Project Type

Features your app uses

Deployment Checklist

steps for your Laravel app

Critical

Recommended

Optional

Server Setup

Ubuntu LTS serverCriticalA stable, supported Linux base.
Nginx + PHP-FPMCriticalWeb server reverse-proxying PHP-FPM.
PHP 8.2+ with required extensionsCriticalmbstring, bcmath, intl, pdo_mysql…
Composer (--no-dev on prod)CriticalInstall with --optimize-autoloader.
Supervisor (keep workers alive)CriticalAuto-restarts queue/horizon workers.

Database

MySQL / PostgreSQLCriticalPrimary database with a dedicated user.
Automated daily backupsCriticalScheduled dumps stored off-server.
Index optimizationCriticalIndexes on foreign keys & hot columns.

Cache

Config/route/view cacheCriticalphp artisan optimize — big prod speedup.
Redis (cache + sessions)CriticalFast cache, session & queue driver.
Queue on Redis/SQS (not sync)CriticalMove slow jobs off the request.

Security

SSL / HTTPS (Let's Encrypt)CriticalForce HTTPS, auto-renew certs.
APP_DEBUG=false, APP_ENV=productionCriticalNever leak stack traces to users.
Correct storage & cache permissionsCriticalwww-data owns storage, bootstrap/cache.
Firewall (ufw)CriticalOnly 22/80/443 open.
Fail2BanRecommendedBlocks brute-force on SSH & login.

Monitoring

Error tracking (Sentry / Flare)RecommendedCapture exceptions with context.
Uptime monitoringRecommendedAlert when the site is down.
Log rotation (daily channel)RecommendedStops logs filling the disk.

Deployment

Environment variables (.env)CriticalSecrets out of git, set per-server.
Scheduler cron (schedule:run)CriticalOne cron entry runs all scheduled tasks.
Queue workers via SupervisorCriticalphp artisan queue:work, restarted on deploy.
Storage symlink (storage:link)CriticalPublic access to uploaded files.
CI/CD pipelineRecommendedAutomated test, build & deploy.
Zero-downtime deploy (Deployer/Envoyer)RecommendedAtomic releases with rollback.

Deploy Laravel like a pro

Laravel makes building easy, but production is a different game. A forgotten storage:link breaks your image uploads, a missing queue worker silently drops your emails, and APP_DEBUG left on quietly leaks your secrets. This Laravel production checklist covers the whole journey — server setup, MySQL and backups, Redis cache, SSL and firewall, monitoring, and a clean CI/CD deployment.

Common questions

What do I need to deploy a Laravel app to production?

At minimum: a Linux server (Ubuntu), Nginx + PHP-FPM, PHP 8.2+, Composer, MySQL, SSL, and your .env configured with APP_DEBUG=false. Add Redis, queue workers and Supervisor once you use queues or notifications. This tool builds the exact list for your project and features.

Why is APP_DEBUG=false so important?

With debug on, Laravel shows full stack traces — including your database credentials and file paths — to anyone who triggers an error. On production it's a serious security leak. Always set APP_DEBUG=false and APP_ENV=production. It's marked Critical here for that reason.

Do I really need Redis and Supervisor?

If you use queues, notifications or chat — yes. Redis gives you fast cache, sessions and a real queue driver (never use 'sync' in production). Supervisor keeps your queue workers alive and restarts them automatically. For a simple website they're optional, and the tool reflects that.

Is this checklist free?

Yes — completely free, runs in your browser, nothing stored. Hit Copy to save your checklist and tick items off as you deploy.

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